Michael Beasley Brings Hope to Once Dead Kansas State Basketball Program

Kansas State could have one of the best teams in the nation in the 2007-2008 basketball season, with freshman Michael Beasley and one of the best recruiting classes for 2007 coming their way. Rules now prohibit a direct jump from high school to the NBA, resulting in a batch of teams that will have a chance for a title run. This year KSU is one of those teams.

While Manhattan, Kansas is probably an exciting place, its location has little to do with why the top group of high school phenoms are coming to play. The mastermind behind the resurgence is Bob Huggins. Huggins has since bolted for Alma Matter West Virginia . What Wildcat fans may not realize is that they were able to attain all that is good about Bob Huggins, without the ominous cancer actually coaching at their school.

So, in this case, you can have your cake and eat it too.

You see, in Huggyland DUI's and non-existent graduation rates are not just a problem, they are a reality. At Cincinnati, Huggins did not try to recruit scholar athletes, instead he opted for high-risk high school ballers and JUCO fillers. His graduation rate was 0.0, meaning he did not graduate players at all.

Simply put, Bob Huggins is a lower breed of division 1a basketball coach. This is not to say he is not a great coach or even that he is completely bad for the sport, but his actions speak of a man who does not care how he wins.

Michael Beasley originally committed to Charlotte. When his AAU coach Dalonte Hill was hired as an assistant by Huggins, Beasley changed his verbal commitment to KSU. Huggins has since left, Hill is staying and for this reason Beasley is bringing skills that Manhatten has not seen in a long time. Take notes Arkansas football Head Coach Houston Nutt, Huggins may have stooped to the same level of hiring a top recruits coach, but he was not stupid enough to lose control. In fact, despite having more talent committed to play for him than ever before, he packed his bags. The guy is a regular John Wayne-esque bad ass.

Other top players from the class include Bill Walker. Walker actually enrolled early last year and saw minutes in what should have been his final season. Tragically, he tore his ACL and missed the majority of the season. With Walker, many think K-State was a shoe-in for the NCAA tournament. He is expected to be fully recovered by next season, giving KSU and explosive frontcourt. Walker can soar to the hoop, dunking with the best in the country.

Shooting guard Dominique Sutton is another top player who only committed to KSU because of AAU coach Dalonte Hill.

Everyone is on board, now it is up to former assistant and new Head Coach Frank Martin to put all the pieces together. It will be hard for Martin to keep all of the egos in check. If he does, things will be smelling rosy on the KSU courts this year. Either way, at least the stench known as Bob Huggins has moved far away and all that is left is crazy amounts of talent.